Chimera
by PandaTori
Summary: This is my marvel crossover. I have seen all the Avengers related movies- Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, etc. as well as all the X-men movies. My OC comes from the X-Men related realm but Id like this story to focus on her with the Avengers. Possible romance between Loki and my OC!
1. Chapter 1

The rain had been pounding the streets for the past several hours and by early afternoon there were puddles the size of kiddie pools everywhere. Alice attempted to jump over one of these small lakes and swore under her breath when water splashed up the back of her leg instead. Walking briskly she quickly ducked into a nearby café. The aroma of fresh brewing coffee and roasted exotic coffee beans tickled the tip of her nose and made her salivate.

Unfortunately Alice had no time for coffee. Sitting in a secluded corner booth she grabbed a few napkins and started a futile attempt to dry off. "At least I wore my boots today" She muttered as she dabbed at the soaked fabric of her jeans. She glanced at the television hanging up in another corner of the store. It was on the local news channel and the images flitted from one thing to the next. Nothing too interesting, Alice thought. That was until the breaking news bulletin flashed and live footage showed a press conference. The man at the podium stood casually with hands in his pockets. He wore a charcoal grey suit that was supposed to make him look more authoritative but on this man it seemed to lack the right amount of polish. Camera flashes reflected off the sunglasses he wore. His dark brown hair was tousled, though whether he woke up that way or styled it purposely, nobody really knew. He appeared to have a slight frown on his face as he waited to answer questions.

"Mr. Stark! Mr. Stark!" One reporter squawked louder than all the others in an attempt to get the man's attention. They were met with a direct stare and raised eyebrows.

Alice slowly began to zone out the television again, thinking to herself. It had been about two years since the destruction of over half of New York. Since then the Avengers, as they have become publicly know, have banded together and continue to save the world from itself. In the past year they also granted the Asgaurdian Loki Laufeyson clemency for his previous attempts to rule the world and being the one that almost destroyed New York. His adoptive brother Thor, a member of the Avengers, spoke for him at the time and it made waves just about everywhere. There had been an uproar for justice in D.C that was eventually drowned out by the older Asgaurdian and the rest of the Avengers. Besides politicians versus six superheroes? The winner was clear.

Glancing back at the TV, Alice saw that the press conference was over. Adjusting her soaked jacket on her shoulders she stood and disposed of the useless napkins and headed back outside. The rain had decided that it was being cute earlier and was now equivalent to mini hurricane status. The wind whipped around the same time rain came down in torrents. Alice started running down the street heading towards her apartment only a few blocks away. She hesitated for a moment before dashing across the street. Suddenly bright lights flashed at her and she heard a horn blaring. The large vehicle barreled towards her unable or unwilling to stop and she stood there unflinching. With no time to consider her options Alice flung out her left hand. There was the sound of a squealing engine and the air around the car and her seemed to be filled with static. A street lamp above shattered.

At that moment everything snapped back to reality. Alice watched the car flip and roll as if it had been flung casually aside by a giant. It crashed into a nearby car parallel parked on the street and the engine smoked.

"Damn.." Alice whispered. So much for laying low, she thought.

As Tony Stark stepped into the elevator at Stark Towers he sighed. Stepping into this threshold was like putting on a new persona, one that allowed him to relax a bit. Leaning against the wall he swore to himself that next time Rodgers could handle the press. He had the right personality for it anyway.

Tony had always hated the press. All the flashing lights and reporters barking at you for some kind of answer that they just wanted to butcher to fit their own agenda. As the elevator doors slid open Tony was thinking it was time for a drink. Casually strolling across the flat Tony reached the bar and grabbed a glass.

"I believe that can wait Mr. Stark"

That voice. That voice always made Tony's eye twitch and he set down the glass with a sigh.

"What now Fury? I thought my superhero duties for the day only included calming the press about Banners latest outburst on Coney Island?" Tony snapped lazily as he turned his head to look at the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.

"Superhero. Hmph. You keep calling yourself that and I feel like I keep reminding you -"

"What do you want? And why does it keep me from drinking" Tony was getting impatient with the other man.

"Just head to the briefing room" Fury clicked his heels and walked to the elevator. He turned and looked at Tony and before the doors closed he spoke up, "Now Mr. Stark."

Grumbling Tony shuffled down a small flight of steps beside the elevator to a lower level. Walking down the hallway he saw Fury ahead of himself sweep into the briefing room dramatically. Rolling his eyes he strode in and plopped himself in a chair beside Banner. They all sat at a crescent shaped table facing a large screen which Fury stood at gathering some information. Across the table agents Barton and Romanoff sat with their arms crossed whispering to each other. Barton's eyes were narrowed as he listened to whatever Natasha whispered in his ear. Thor strode in and sat in the seat next to Tony making the chair creak. His face seemed perplexed and he glanced at Tony quizzically.

"What was so urgent friend Stark?" His voice was deep and sounded loud even though he spoke in a low whisper.

Tony shrugged and glanced at Banner to see if he knew. Banner just shook his head and waited for Fury to begin. He was still sheepish about the Coney Island incident. Rodgers waited anxiously at his spot between Loki and Barton. Even after a year Rodgers still had to act as the peacekeeper between the two. Loki leaned back in his chair inspecting his nails lazily.

Everyone gave Fury their attention when he cleared his throat. He was pulling up a video that looked like a street cam recording. It showed a car speeding towards a young girl who was in the middle of a crosswalk. Suddenly as if by the flick of the girls hand the car went summersaulting over her and skidding through the intersection smashing into a nearby car. Fury paused the video and turned to the group.

"This was brought to our attention just a couple of hours ago. Normally we'd take mild interest in something like this anyway, due to the fact that there was no logical reason for the car to crash like that. However we took greater interest when our facial recognition program identified this young woman as Alice King, known to the government as Chimera"

"Chimera? How'd a twelve year old get a nickname like that from the government?" Tony scoffed.

Fury sent a glare his way,

"The government didn't give her the nickname, she did, when she was registered as a mutant."

Everyone went silent. They had all seen the occasional mutant on the news. They stayed pretty low on the radar especially after the new bill forcing them to get registered passed. Professor Xavier, a spokesperson for the mutant community and founder of the mutant boarding school, had been able to stop the first bill but after his disappearance and the violent protests of the new cure ensued a second bill passed. It first forced all mutants to come forth and register. Anyone found that refused to register faced jail time. After that the different mutants were categorized on government lists based on the threat level of their mutations.

Fury sighed and went back to talking.

"Chimera was deemed highly dangerous. There were attempts to reason with her to take the cure which ended in two murders of two full grown men twice her size. She has been on all the watch lists since and has been off the radar for a long time but we have to assume she's gotten even more dangerous. She landed in our jurisdiction so she is our problem."

"Sir.." Rodger brows were furrowed as he spoke hesitantly. "This young girl..we're supposed to believe she murdered two men.."

Fury nodded. His face was grim as he pulled up the old crime scene photos. Banner turned his head looking like he was going to be ill.

"This young woman possesses powers classified as both telekinetic and telepathic. But she somehow liquefied these men's insides and then heated it up to a boiling point till they burst. I'd consider that very dangerous." As he spoke he looked around the room at every single team member.

"I cannot stress how careful we need to be. We need to bring her into custody ASAP before she disappears again. All information is in your files. Do your research on the plane, lets head out."

The team stood up and filed out of the room. Loki was the last one to be leaving and Fury grabbed his arm signaling he had something more to say.

"I don't trust everything in this girls file and I certainly don't trust those government whackos that headed the handling of mutants. I'd like to try and get her to surrender herself willingly but if not you and your magic could be the most valuable asset we have to subdue her. Got it?" Fury stared down the green eyed god.

Loki's thin mouth twitched and he glanced back up at the freeze frame of the young girl in the video. Looking back at Fury he nodded curtly and pulled his arm free as he walked down the hall. As he caught up to his brother Loki couldn't shake the feeling that Fury was right. There was no way the whole story was in that file.


	2. Chapter 2

Alice sat in her apartment contemplating what to do. She had run home immediately after the crash earlier that day. Now that she sat on her bed on next to a packed duffel bag her once racing mind was blank. She had rushed home and changed quickly out of her wet clothes and packed to leave. She was so used to her life being uprooted but this time it was harder to just flee.

She sighed heavily and rested her head in her hands. She could still see the car crunched across the intersection, rain bouncing off the dented metal as it steamed and smoked. Steeling herself Alice stood and grabbed her bag and threw it on the floor. She couldn't run away again, not this time. Her hands trembled a bit and she reached into her coat pocket grabbing her cigarettes. Smoking had always calmed her nerves and helped her keep a level head. Suddenly the hairs on the back of her neck stood up and an uneasy feeling tightened the pit of her stomach.

Alice usually trusted this instinct to mean that trouble was coming but considering the day's events she shrugged of the feeling halfheartedly and walked towards the balcony door. Her apartment was on the second floor and the sliding glass door in her bedroom led to a small covered patio. The door clicked as she slid it open and the flash of the lighter lit up her face in the dark. Keeping in mind that her skin still had that icy feeling Alice took a long draw off the cigarette. The rain had stopped but everything was still dripping making the air feel cool and moist.

"Those things will kill ya" The sudden voice startled her and Alice whipped her head around. She saw a lean dark figure sitting on the rail of her balcony. The red and gold armor gleamed faintly against the blue glow on the chest piece. Alice gritted her teeth.

"I hadn't realized Iron Man had become the new smoking police. I don't know if I should laugh at how low that means you've sunk or feel honored that you could be bothered with something so insignificant" Alice's voice was cold and her free hand clenched.

"Ha, as if that's why I am here. Come on do you really think that accident you caused would go unnoticed" Starks voice was light. Alice narrowed her eyes and realized that she should've listened to her gut and ran. Every muscle in her body tensed at the mention of the crash.

"I do believe I had the right of way in that instance. I can't be bothered if that driver was an idiot. Besides I saw that nobody was injured"

"True, however you still caught the eyes of some big fish. Why don't you make this easier for everyone and just come with us cooperatively?" Stark stood slowly and the metal of his suit clacked as he took a step towards Alice.

_Run. Run now._

Everything in Alice screamed for her to jump off the balcony and make a run for it. But common sense told her that there was no way there was only one Avenger here to take her in. They had to have her small apartment surrounded. As she thought that footsteps from inside her apartment caught her attention.

"Lucky us she already has a back packed and everything" A cool voice called from the doorway to the balcony.

Alice looked over to see a shorter man standing there holding her duffel bag. He wore simple black attire and there was a quiver attached to his back. Hawkeye.

_Damn._

Alice flicked the remainder of her cigarette off the balcony and balled both hands into fists. She weighed her options carefully as precious seconds ticked by.

"What do you guys want?" Her voice dripped ice. She didn't care if they worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. S.H.I.E.L.D. was a part of the government and as far as she was concerned that made them enemies. Memories of the day she became a fugitive flashed into her head and it made her feel sick.

"We don't want any trouble but you have to know people have been looking for you. Just come with us." Tony's voice was still casual and calm but Alice wasn't feeling reassured. She took a step back and grabbed the railing with one hand.

"I know people have been looking for me. I have no intention of ending up in their hands. Ever" Her voice shook a bit. The light on her porch flickered and started to buzz.

"Hey, easy there kid. S.H.I.E.L.D. has no intentions of just handing you over to anybody. For now we just want you in custody. And since everyone's going to be looking for you now you might be better off coming with us." Stark held out a hand slowly and his suit hummed with power.

"To put it simply, we're not asking. We're telling." Hawkeye spoke again. His voice was a bit smug and he seemed to be staring past Alice a bit. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up again and she had the feeling someone was behind her, watching.

Sensing her options had dwindled down to just two, one being very unfavorable, Alice slowly and reluctantly raised her hands in surrender.

"That's a good girl." An icy voice hissed in her ear. Cold cuffs were placed on her wrists. The metal was heavy and every nerve in her body began to tingle and feel numb. Alice turned her head to address the person behind her and was met with a bright green gaze. Her heart fluttered a bit as she met those eyes with her own.

His face was close to hers. Beautiful luminous green eyes stood out even though his face was shadowed in the dim light. He has well sculpted features with defined cheekbones and thin pale lips. There was no denying he was handsome, or who he was. Loki.

Alice turned back to look at Hawkeye who had grabbed her arm and led her through her apartment. She could hear Iron Mans suit power up and fly off. Alice shook her head a bit and wondered how he had managed to sneak up on her in the first place in that suit.

Tony was for the second time walking into the threshold of Stark Towers. He made a beeline for the bar and poured a drink hoping this time to be left in peace. Glancing up at the sound of footsteps he saw Rodgers walk in. He still wore his star spangled uniform and Tony couldn't help but snort to himself. Taking a sip of his bourbon he spoke,

"Well I'd call that successful wouldn't you Cap?"

"I'd call that too easy for all the fuss Fury was making." Steve's expression was thoughtful and stern.

Tony strode to the nearby couch and sat down.

"Hey I'm not complaining. Do you know where they took her?" He took another sip from his drink.

"To the secure facility under this building. They gave her a sedative and Banners attempting to make some kind of device to neutralize her powers for now"

"Those Asgaurdian cuffs seemed to be pretty effective." Steve chucked dryly at that remark.

"And she could have been faking it for all we know. This scenario seems all too familiar"

Tony knew Steve was referring to the time they captured Loki. He nodded slowly.

"I guess we'll just have to see then."

Steve nodded slowly and turned to leave. He paused and looked back at Tony. "Banner could probably use some help with-" Tony waved him off.

"Nope. I'm clocked off for the day."

Steve shook his head and left the room. "Super heroes don't get to clock off Tony," He muttered to himself.

Tony walked down the hallways briskly. The lights flickered off the white walls and large windows of the room where Banner was. Automatic doors slid open as he strolled up. Banner was hunched over a table fiddling with a small metal band. He grabbed a long needle from a nearby table and prepared to greet Banner in his favorite way.

"Don't even think about it Tony" Banners voice was distant and husky as if he wasn't even paying attention. Tony set the needle down and pouted a bit. He glanced at the band and curiosity got the better of him.

"So how does it work?"

"Well I based it off the Asgaurdian technology Thor used to block Loki's powers, but I'm trying to make it specific to her. It's hard because her abilities are wired into dna. If anything it should dull her powers by a lot" He pushed his glasses up his nose and handed the band to Tony to inspect it.

It was a plain metal band with two small prongs on the inside. Tony pressed them gently. "What are these for?"

"Those are meant to puncture the skin and fasten the band to her. It should wire the device directly to her, blocking her abilities."

Tony made a face, "Gruesome." Banner nodded, "A bit. But after what Fury showed us we can't be too careful." He took the band back and walked out of the room. He walked down the hallway with Tony trailing behind him. At the end of the hall was a large door and Banner used his security pass to open it. Inside was a comfortably sized room with a large bed. A small table and two chairs were placed at the center and a separate door led to the bathroom. On the bed Alice lay there sedated.

Tony glanced at the small girl. Upon studying her he realized she was older than he first thought. Though she was short and slender she looked at least 20. Her face looked less than peaceful as if nightmares had haunted her for a long time.

Banner walked up to the edge of the bed and slipped the band around her ankle. There was a click as it locked in place.

"There. That should do it. I'll have Jarvis do a scan later and see what her energy levels are like. Until then we should probably keep out of here." He glanced up at Tony who was still gazing at the girl. Slowly making his way up to the man he grabbed his arm firmly.

"Let's go Tony."

After one last look both men left the room and the door locked after them.

The early morning sun glinted through the windows of the tower. No one had gotten much sleep that night, except for Thor. But he always slept well. Tony glared at him through sleep glazed eyes as he watched the god munch happily on some pop tarts. Loki sat near him and wrinkled his nose in disgust as crumbs fell from his brother face onto the table.

"Honestly Thor, could you try to have a little decency?" His lips curled in disdain as he sipped his tea.

Thor just gave him the usual goofy grin and began devouring another pop tart. Tony watched the two from the kitchen while he poured his second cup of coffee. The steam rose from the cup and the aroma filled his nose. He sat down at the table slowly and grabbed a nearby tablet. A smooth electronic voice crackled from the speakers overhead,

"Sir. Mr. Fury is on his way up. He would like a report from you and Dr. Banner regarding miss King." Tony took another sip from his coffee and sighed.

"Jarvis you may tell Fury that it is too early for any reports."

"I don't think Mr. Fury would be pleased with that answer sir."

"Yeah yeah." Tony muttered. He noticed Loki's gaze had fallen on him. Those green eyes just stared at him and it made Tony feel a bit uneasy.

"What exactly is Fury expecting from you and Banner?" Loki's voice was curt.

"He probably wants to know if Banners device was successful in blocking her abilities."

Loki's eyes narrowed a bit and he pressed his lips together looking displeased. Though he didn't say anything he strongly opposed what Fury was having Tony and Bruce do. He knew all too well what it felt like to be stripped of your powers. He shuddered, remembering what Odin had done to him after Thor returned him to Asgaurd. The feeling of helplessness was still haunting him in his nightmares. Setting his unfinished cup down he left the room with a bitter expression on his face.

Thor watched him go, eyes sad like a puppy watching its master leave the room. He wiped his face and glanced at Tony who gave him a quizzical look.

"Brother has never really liked the idea of taking someone's abilities away. He feels like it's taking away a part of them," Thor's voice was grave and Tony could tell that he was being very serious "I don't condone what that young woman did. But I've seen what happens when you take something away from someone like this and I don't agree with it either. It is a painful thing to watch."

Tony looked into his coffee cup. He had his own mixed feelings as well. Something just kept gnawing away at him. The sound of the elevator brought him back to reality and he looked up at Fury who strode in.

"You got a report for me Mr. Stark?"

"Jarvis could you do a scan on miss King and check on the energy levels?" Tony called as he took another sip of coffee. There was a pause before the electronic voice answered,

"Energy levels have been significantly reduced from the first scan. I cannot detect anything unusual from miss King. Both scans have been uploaded onto the system for further analysis."

"Thank you Jarvis." Tony looked back at Fury. "There. You have your report, but I have to ask. What is the plan now? If we've neutralized her powers what do we plan on doing with her? Are we actually going to turn her in?"

"First I'd like the chance to speak with her myself. S.H.I.E.L.D feels she could be a valuable asset if she cooperates."

Tony's frown deepened.

"I hope you're not planning on turning her into some kind of test subject. I don't trust S.H.I.E.L.D. or any government agency to not use her as some sort of guinea pig."

Fury narrowed his eye and glared darkly at Tony.

"I would certainly hope that after all this time you had more trust in us Mr. Stark. No we will not be testing on her, the government has already tried weaponizing a mutant's power and we have seen how well that worked out haven't we. For now she is here secretly and we'd like to keep it that way? Understood?" Fury nodded towards both men and clicked his heels together as he swept out of the room.


	3. Chapter 3

Somewhere in the darkness a pain throbbed in Alice's temple. She forced her eyes open and was blinded by bright light, quickly shutting them again. A groan escaped her lips as the throbbing worsened. Squirming slowly she turned and buried her face against something soft. Her eyes snapped open. Looking around she saw she was on a bed in a plain bedroom. The walls were a cold grey with no decoration. She looked at the bed she was one. It was a plain wood frame and large. The coverings were a simple rough white cotton. There was a table in the center of the room and a door beyond that. Another door lied just to the left of the bed. As she sat up slowly a different pain shot through her leg. Removing the sheets she was tangled up in Alice noticed a small silver band wrapped around her ankle. A stream of blood had run down her foot and long since dried.

Her fingers slowly traced the metal. _What is this_, her mind pondered? The pain in her head had subsided some but wasn't fully gone. Alice realized she was wearing different clothes than when she first came. She didn't actually know where they took her. Shortly after boarding the Avengers plane someone had injected her with a strong sedative. She was now wearing a simple black t shirt and loose black capris. Standing slowly she looked for her bag and her other clothes. Shooting pain spiraled up her leg and caused her step to falter. Just as she went to make her way to where she saw her duffel tossed when there was a click. Looking up Alice saw the main door in front of her swing up.

A stern looking man walked in. His leather trench coat gave him a M.I.B. look and the scars on his face made his grim expression look even darker. One eye was covered with a black eye patch.

"Oh good, you're up." He barked it and the slight drawl to his voice made him seem ever more irritated.

Alice took a step back and sat on the edge of the bed. _This man..he must be an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. someone important from the way he acts_, Alice thought to herself.

Fury seemed to sense something from her facial expressions.

"My name is Fury. I'm the man in charge here. You are being kept here in secret till we know what to do with you. What we do with you depends on you."

"I'm not sure I understand." Alice hissed a bit.

"You see..people have been looking for you for a long time. Now I can understand if you don't trust us, but I mean it when I say that as of now I have no intentions to just hand you over to the people that put the bounty on your head. However if you don't cooperate with us I can't promise that we'll stay that generous."

Alice searched Fury's face for some sign that this was a trick. She couldn't see one.

"I'm not sure how to cooperate. What is it that you want?"

Fury smiled a bit. It was not a warm smile, more like a humorless laugh.

"For now? The truth." He strode forward slowly and took a seat at the table staring at her. "Do you think you could do that?" Fury's head tilted as he considered Alice.

She only nodded slowly. Fury gestured to the seat across from him at the table but Alice didn't budge. Her expression was icy and lacked trust. He sighed and shrugged as if to say, so be it.

"Alright then. Where should we start then?" Fury pressed his fingertips together and rested them under his chin with a thoughtful expression. "How about what started it all? Why did you kill those two men?"

Alice's expression went blank. "You have my file. Read it."

"I want to hear it from you Miss King."

_The truth.._ she thought, _he wants the truth. But how can I trust he'll believe me. Why is he even asking about this? Why does he care?_ Her expression hardened and she stayed silent. Fury growled with impatience.

"Fine. I'll start with telling you what I know. Your name is Alice King. In the government records you are listed as Chimera, a highly dangerous mutant with telepathic and telekinetic powers. During the mutant registration you were considered a danger and threat and were asked to take the cure," Fury noticed Alice's eye twitch and something about her darkened. He continued casually watching her expressions closely, "It says that you refused the cure and became volatile and murdered the two men who were performing the registration. You then fled the building and disappeared off the radar in hiding." Fury looked casually at her. "Did I miss anything?"

"Nope. Sounds just about perfect." Alice stood slowly. The pain in her leg hit her again but she walked to her bag slowly. She dug through it looking for something. Finding it she pulled out her pack of cigarettes and tapped it against her palm letting one slide out. Digging through her bag again she found a lighter. She turned her head looking at Fury.

"May I?" Fury nodded though he looked displeased at the thought. Alice lit the end and took a long drag. The pain in her head had returned and she was starting to tremble. Walking back to her bed she sat down slowly. Taking another drag she looked at Fury. Her eyes were narrowed and she seemed to be thinking.

"You seem like a smart man. You're asking me for the truth. Which means you must have some shred of doubt that what's in that paperwork isn't it," She took a long drag and let the smoke out slowly. Each word was said slowly and carefully. "Maybe I'll tell you the truth. I would've told it a long time ago if I thought anyone would listen."

"I'm listening now miss King." Fury said as he swatted away some of the smoke. His nose wrinkled a bit as she blew this particular stream of it right into his face.

"I understand that. But are you truly listening? Are you willing to hear and understand what I have to say?" A nervous finger flicked the butt of the cigarette causing ash to rain down onto the floor. Alice continued to stare down the man across from her. _Well here goes nothing_, she thought. "Everything in that file is true. Except for one detail."

"And what detail is this?" Fury leaned forward a bit growing impatient with her evasiveness.

"Do you really think they asked Mr. Fury?" She pinched the end of the cigarette putting her out. She didn't seem to mind the burning feeling on her fingertips. She dropped the butt casually on the floor.

"Are you suggesting they tried to force you to take the cure?" Fury raised his eyebrow. If she was telling the truth than his suspicion was confirmed. He had always disagreed with how the government handled the mutants. He has seen his fair share of injustices at S.H.I.E.L.D. but nothing seemed to compare to the way certain groups rounded up mutants. They were like mass witch hunts and they occurred more than once, always with violent endings.

"I'm telling you the truth. It is what you asked of me is it not? They said I was too dangerous to be left alone. They didn't think they could build any cell strong enough to hold me. They learned their lesson with Magneto on that one. So instead they strapped me to a table and prepared to dose me with the cure against my will." Alice's eyes were pained and she stared at the floor.

Fury stood and nodded his head slowly.

"Thank you for telling me this."

"So what are you going to do now Mr. Fury?" Alice looked up at him.

"I believe it's about 10 o'clock in the morning. I'll tell someone to bring you some breakfast." Fury evaded the true content of her question and walked towards the door. Alice glared at his back feeling frustrated. She remembered something she wanted to ask.

"Mr. Fury!" He turned and looked at her. "This thing..what is it?" She gestured to the band around her ankle.

"Miss King. I thought you were smarter than that. This, after all, isn't the first time someone's not trusted you not to use your powers?" Fury left the room the door shutting with a loud snapping sound. Alice cursed to herself under her breath.

_That's where these headaches are coming from_, she glared at the band as she traced it slowly. Alice sighed loudly and stood up. Grabbing her bag she headed towards the other door in the room. Relieved to see a bathroom she stepped inside and turned on the shower.

Tony had started making his breakfast when Jarvis spoke,

"Sir.. Director Fury asks that someone bring miss King breakfast." The cool voice spoke.

"Alright. Thank you Jarvis." Tony continued to scramble the eggs in the frying pan. He grabbed a few more eggs and cracked them open into the pan. Using the spatula he broke them up and kept cooking. He was deep in thought as he stared into the pan. He wondered how the talk went and what Fury found out.

Tony suddenly sensed someone watching him and looked up to see Loki leaning over the island counter watching him. Tony shook his head.  
"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that Loki." The god just snickered quietly. He glanced at the abundance of eggs in Tony's pan.

"Making extra's?"

"Well Fury just asked us to feed the girl so yeah, figured why not." Tony got the feeling that Loki was more interested in this King girl than he let on. "I actually have to get to a meeting soon or Pepper will have my head. Think you could bring her the breakfast?" He slid the scrambled eggs onto two separate plates.

Loki shrugged, "I guess." His voice was cool and detached but Tony wasn't fooled. Living with the man for two years everyone was slowly becoming attuned to the way the god acted. Tony handed him the plate and a cup of coffee.

"Thanks Loks." Tony grinned and dodged a swift kick that was meant to hit his shin. He knew Loki hated any sort of nickname. Scurrying off with his own plate Tony left Loki in the kitchen.

Looking down at the plate in his hand Loki sighed. Everyone had been informed earlier where the girl was being kept so he made his way to the elevator. His stomach felt a bit queasy by the time he reached the underground facility. He hated elevators.

Walking down the hall he saw Banner in the science lab working on something. He passed the lab hoping to go unnoticed and reached the door. Adjusting everything he was carrying he carefully pulled out his security I.D. and the door unlocked. The room was empty but he saw the light underneath the bathroom door. He carefully set the plate and cup down on the table.

The room had no windows and it made Loki shudder. It reminded him of his imprisonment at Asgaurd not all that long ago. Alice walked out of the bathroom and dropped her bag near the bed. She glanced at Loki and tried to hide the way her heart skipped a beat. Looking at him now in full light it was hard not to blush. He really was tall, not that being short helped her much, everyone seemed tall. His soft black hair was slicked back and the feather like layers draped around his shoulders. Those eyes pierced her gaze and seemed to stare right through her. A thin smile spread across his face but did not reach his eyes.

"I've brought you your breakfast, eat it before it gets cold." His voice was smooth and had almost no trace of emotion in it.

"Why of course, cold eggs are disgusting anyway. Thank you." Alice piled her long blonde hair up into a messy bun and walked towards the table. Loki noticed a slight limp to her walk and let the corners of his mouth turn downwards in a slight frown.

Sitting slowly Alice picked up the coffee first and took a sip. She breathed in the aroma of the coffee and smiled to herself. This coffee was expensive, one could tell from just smelling it, and it gave her a clue towards where she was. Loki watched her. He stood tensely where he was unsure whether he should leave or stay. He couldn't think of a reason to stay and yet he wanted to.

"Why don't you sit down? I mean that is if you're allowed to keep me company. I have nothing to do all day so someone to talk to would be much appreciated." Alice took another sip and watched him from over her mug. Loki slowly grabbed the back of the chair and pulled it out enough to sit down. He sat with a slight slouch allowing his long legs to stretch out some. He folded his hands over his stomach and relaxed his posture watching her with his cold gaze.

Alice slowly took a bite of the eggs. They were good, like really really good, and she struggled to not start wolfing them down. Taking slow and steady bites she ate while Loki sat in silence watching her. The silence hung heavy and Alice was starting to regret asking him to stay when he spoke,

"How did you do it?" Again his voice lacked any emotion but his eyes showed something else. Curiosity.

"Do what?" Alice's fork was paused halfway to her mouth. Those green eyes narrowed a bit as they looked at her.

"You know exactly what I'm asking about."

Swallowing slowly, she set the fork down, bite untaken. Grabbing the coffee again she took a sip.

"That is a grisly subject, one I'd prefer to not talk about over a meal." She grimaced a bit as she spoke obviously remembering some distant memory that was usually buried deep. Loki said nothing else but just sat there watching her. Picking up her fork again she began eating.

"You're the one that did it? Why is there a fear of the subject?" His voice had a stinging bite to it this time.

"You destroyed over half of New York a few years ago. Is that something you like to talk about?" Alice looked up and realized she stepped over a line that she might not have wanted to cross.

Loki clenched his fists and his posture straightened. His eyes were narrowed to burning green slits. Something hissed in his throat and he gritted his teeth trying to hold it back. Slowly he resumed his previous relaxed position and let the tension fade.

"Alright. If you don't want to talk about it that is you're decision." His voice dripped with an icy coolness that sent shivers down Alice's spine. She slowly finished the eggs and pushed the plate aside focusing on her cup. Reaching into the pocket of her sweater she grabbed another cigarette. Loki eyed it with some disdain but curiosity as well. Lighting it slowly she took another sip of her coffee.

"It's simple science really."

Loki raised an eyebrow staring at her.

"For me it's the same as moving a chair…only I'm moving things at a much smaller scale. I'm moving the individual atoms in a person's body. Normally I can do this with just my mind but in that instance I was panicking. My emotions amplified my powers so when I touched them..it was too much for their bodies to handle. Everything expanded and then burst." She took a long drag and tilted her head back blowing it up into the air. "To be completely honest, the end result was an accident."

She did her best to keep her voice calm but it waivered the tiniest bit. Looking back at the god she saw something strange in his eyes. Sympathy? Understanding? Whatever it was it quickly disappeared when they made eye contact.

"Thank you for telling me." His voice however was soft this time. Whatever emotion she thought she saw in his eyes was still there, lingering somewhere behind his mask. Alice smiled a tiny bit and nodded. She finished her coffee and Loki stood gathering the empty dishes. He turned towards the door and left without another word.


	4. Chapter 4

Banner looked up from what he was tinkering with in the science lab to see Loki walking down the hallway to the elevator. He was casually carrying an empty plate and cup. He wore an unusual expression on his face. Banner had never seen Loki look like that before. His thin lips were pursed into a slight frown which was completely normal. His eyes had a softness to them that was abnormal however and his brows furrowed slightly as if he was thinking. Banner glanced at the monitors that were keeping an eye on Alice's energy levels. The readings were the same as earlier.

Loki pressed the button to the elevator and waited for it to open. Traveling upstairs he walked briskly to the kitchen sink and deposited the dirty dishes there. His expression stayed the same as he gripped the kitchen counter with both hands. He was deep in thought when he suddenly realized he was being watched. He glanced around and saw Agent Romanoff watching him from the entryway.

"After all this time, you're still one of the only people here who can sneak up on me." Loki's voice was grim but relaxed. He stood up straight and looked at Natasha dead in the eye trying to gauge her intentions.

"I take pride in being able to do that," Natasha said with a smirk. She took a few steps closer now standing by the bar in the kitchen. There was a whole kitchen island that separated them but Loki tensed a bit anyway. "Oh relax. Hey, you talked to the girl right?" Natasha cocked her head to the side.

Loki crossed his arms. One of his long delicate fingers tapped his bicep in an impatient manner.

"Yes I did. What is it to you?"

"Such hostility. I just wanted to know what you found out. Only Fury has spoken to her so far."

"I brought her breakfast. There wasn't a whole lot of talking. At least not anything important." Loki moved to walk past her but Natasha grabbed his arm roughly.

"You're lying Loki. You're a pretty good liar but I'm pretty good at being able to tell. Look I'm going to give you a friendly warning. Fury seems to think we can trust the girl, but right now nobody is sure. Don't get to close to this."

Loki snorted indifferently.

"What makes you think I'd get close to this?"

"You two seem pretty similar. All I'm saying is be careful. If you get to close to the girl you'll be compromised. And everyone here will have to start questioning you again. It took a long time to earn our trust. Don't be so quick to throw that away." Natasha let go of his arm and let him walk away. She heard the slight growl in Loki's throat. She gritted her teeth, _this is going to be difficult_, she thought as she watched him storm out of the room. _Maybe Thor can get through to him?_ She laughed at herself for that thought and continued on her way.

Later that afternoon the group was gathered in the common area. Tony, Clint, Natasha and Thor were all gathered around the TV watching some action packed movie. Thor kept roaring with delight every time something exploded. Bruce and Steve were playing a card game at the dining table. Steve had never taken a liking to action movies and Bruce found they always provoked the big guy. Tony shook his head and smiled. He stood and hopped over the back of the couch heading to the kitchen. He started making some popcorn on the stove. Tony's mind wandered to Alice. He wondered how she was keeping herself entertained down there and felt slightly bad. He made a note to himself to have Jarvis bring her some movies and books. The hair on the back of his neck suddenly stood up and he felt something brush against him. Tony whipped his head around but nothing was there. His eyes darted around looking for Loki wondering if the trickster was playing some sort of prank on him. He suddenly realized Loki wasn't in the room which confused him because Tony swore he was in his chair reading a book not even five minutes ago.

"Thor!" Thor turned hearing his name and raised an eyebrow.

"What is it friend Tony?"

"Where is that creep of a brother of yours?"

Thor frowned a bit but looked around.

"I don't know. He is probably in the library or his room." Thor gave a shrug and looked back towards the movie. Tony finished making the popcorn and dumped it into a bowl. He felt the same cold chill and looked around. Still finding nothing he grabbed a few pieces of popcorn and flicked them casually into his mouth.

The chilled feeling had spread to his gut and Tony had a bad feeling. He set the bowl down and walked briskly out of the room. His abrupt action caught Steve's attention, who quickly stood up and hurried after him.

"Tony what is it?"

"Let's call it a gut feeling" Tony rushed into the elevator and pressed the button for the lower levels. His foot tapped nervously. The feeling in his stomach made it churn and goosebumps covered his arm.

Steve rarely saw the man saw nervous. Usually Tony was the epitome of cocky level headedness.

"Tony.." Steve bit his lip. The elevator doors whooshed open and Tony headed to the lab used for monitoring Alice. He sat down and studied the monitors. Everything seemed to be normal but Tony couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

"Jarvis status update on Alice."

There was a slight hum and crackle overhead before the smooth electronic voice replied,

"Ms. King is currently vomiting sir."

"How long has she been upchucking?"

"Since noon today sir," Jarvis's voice was curt. "By the way, my readings show this is not any food poisoning or flu."

Tony leaned back reading the monitors and thinking. He tapped his chin thinking. Steve was standing back watching the man.

"Tony do you think this could be an adverse side effect of the bracelet?"

"That is exactly what I'm thinking. You think you could go grab Banner?" Tony looked up to see Steve was already at the elevator.

"Sir." Jarvis's voice cut through Tony's thoughts again.

"What is it Jarvis?"

"I just thought you should know Mr. Laufeyson is with Ms. King."

Tony sighed and shook his head_. So that's were Loki had wandered off too_, he thought to himself. He wondered if Loki had the same feeling he did.

Alice pressed her cheek against the cold tiles of the bathroom wall. Her body trembled slightly from overexertion and she could feel her stomach churning still. She had just finished dry heaving for the past 20 minutes and the thought of another bout made her whimper slightly. A cool cloth was suddenly pressed to her forehead and her eyes fluttered open.

Loki was crouched beside her, balancing on the balls of his feet. One arm was outstretched and delicate fingers pressed the cloth to her forehead. His nose was wrinkled in slight disgust and his luminous green eyes showed a mixture of pity and understanding.

"Do you feel better?" His voice struggled to sound sympathetic. Alice turned her head away slightly and closed her eyes wearily.

"No." Her voice was a hoarse croak and she fought away the nausea that threated to make her gag. Her mind felt dull and it scared her. Alice had never felt so vulnerable in her life. Between her sluggish mind, her powers being blocked, and now this nausea, Alice felt like a helpless baby.

A soft sigh brought her attention back to the god beside her. The creak of leather made her aware that he was standing. Loki removed the cloth and set it on the counter.

"Can you get cleaned up by yourself or do you need help with that as well?" His voice was curt and it made Alice flinch a bit.

Suddenly her mind went reeling when she realized what he was suggesting.

"I am perfectly capable of showering by myself. You are dismissed." Alice waved him off like she was shooing a servant. Her attempt of humor made the god's lips twist into a smirk. He left the bathroom and shut the door. He stayed near though listening just in case she needed help. His eyes darted to the door when Banner and Stark walked in with an anxious looking Rodgers behind them.

"What are you doing here Loki?" Steve's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Loki simply replied with a gesture of his hand towards the bathroom door. His eyes then moved to Banner.

"Why is she sick?" His voice was void of any emotion but his eyes burned with something.

The Dr. rubbed his forehead anxiously as he replied,

"Tony and I are thinking it is some sort of side effect to having her abilities blocked. Can I ask you something Loki?"

Loki just narrowed his eyes. Banner sighed and took that to mean yes.

"When your father blocked your magic, did it ever make you sick?"

Loki growled deeply. The fire burning in his eyes intensified.

"Yes. For the first couple weeks or so I was very ill."

"Then that is probably exactly what this is. We used the same type of technology, the same methods. Maybe if we could find another way to block her abilities..or if we could find a way to keep this from making her sick. I'm going to run some tests and try to stop this." Banners tone showed genuine concern. Loki tilted his head slightly and opened his mouth to ask why they cared when Tony butted in,

"Listen Loks, we don't know her very well yet and we sure as hell don't trust her. But that doesn't mean we purposely want her to suffer. Besides if we want her to open up to us and tell us the truth we need her to trust us. She's not going to do that if we let her stay sick. Just trust us ok?"

Loki suddenly frowned. He was starting to realize he was being treated like this girl's keeper. _Why is everyone acting like this? _He didn't even know this girl that well, he didn't care what they did. With a quick huff he left the room with a mixture of expressions on his face.

Steve watched him leave with his eyebrows raised.

"That was odd, what's gotten into him?" Steve looked at Tony and Bruce for some kind of answer but they both just shrugged.

Tony had an idea but kept it to himself. He knew he wasn't the only one who noticed how protective Loki seemed to be over this girl. It had to be because they seemed to share some kind of connection. They really didn't seem that different. It made him wonder if they should trust Alice more or trust Loki less.

The sound of the shower turning off made the men glance towards the bathroom door. After several minutes Alice walked out of the bathroom. She wore a loose grey t-shirt and simple black pants. Her damp hair hung around her face. Her eyes seemed weary as she glanced at all three men.

"We having a party or something?" Her voice was dry and humorless and seemed to match the pallor of her face.

Bruce was the first to step forward.

"Hello Alice, can I call you Alice?" He continued when she gave a weak nod. "We haven't formally met. I'm Dr. Banner?"

Alice sat down on her bed slowly. She was searching for her cigarettes halfheartedly.

"Yeah, the Hulk right?" Banner sighed slightly. Alice suddenly gave him a wry smile. "Hey, don't worry. You're like some super smart scientist right? That's how you became the Hulk in the first place?"

Banner gave a small shake of his head and smiled. Besides Tony it seemed to be one of the first times someone recognized his achievements as a person rather than just the big guy.

"Yeah. Scientist. Anyway, I'm the one who made that anklet you're wearing. It seems to be what's making you sick and I'd like to fix that. Would you let me take a blood sample?" Banners nose wrinkled at the click of the lighter and the sudden smell of smoke. Alice picked up on his subtle facial expressions. Considering slowly how polite he was being and the fact that he turned into a giant green grumpy monster she wondered if irritating him was the best idea.

"I'm sorry..want me to put it out?" Banner smiled hesitantly.

"That would be much appreciated." He grimaced as he watched Alice put the cigarette out on her palm. The sizzle of skin turned his stomach slightly. Stepping forward he pulled out a needle and syringe and sat beside her. After drawing the blood he handed the syringe off to Tony who left the room. He then scooted down a bit so he was sitting by her feet. He reached out and grabbed the ankle with the bracelet on it. His hands where rough as he examined the metal band, and he frowned.

"My foots not gunna fall off is it?" Alice's tone was slightly bemused as she joked with Banner.

"No no. I do see that you're still bleeding slightly from the prongs. Does it hurt?"

"Nah not really," Alice tilted her head. She glanced at the other man in the doorway. He was very good looking with a strong build and sweet blue eyes. His fair hair was short and carefully kept. "Itches like hell though."

"Mhh, sorry about that." His voice trailed off like he was thinking. Alice kept staring at the other man. He cleared his throat a bit and shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other. Bruce suddenly looked back at Steve. "Oh have you two not met. Alice this is Steve Rodgers."

"Oh I know the great Captain America when is see him." She purred softly and smiled playfully. Alice still felt like crap but was in better spirits with all this human interaction. In the back of her mind she wondered where Loki wandered off to.

Steve blushed furiously. He looked towards the door.

"Well I just came along to make sure you were alright. It was nice meeting you ma'am." He hurried out the door. Alice smiled a bit and looked at Banner. Suddenly a wave of nausea hit her and the room was spinning. She laid back and squeezed her eyes shut.

Bruce watched her nervously. Knowing that it was technically his fault she was sick made him feel guilty. He stood up slowly.

"I'll be right back," He hurried to the lab leaving Alice by herself. He saw Tony flipping through the test results that were still fresh off the printer. "What does it say?"

Tony's eyebrows were furrowed.

"That she is completely fine. I don't know how what is making her sick. Like, we know, but I can't find a way to make it stop without removing that device."

"We can't remove it yet. Not without Fury's permission." Banner tapped his chin thinking furiously. He snatched the results of her bloodwork from Tony and looked them over. Then it occurred to him,

"She's sick because the device is blocking her powers."

Tony raised an eyebrow,

"Yes we covered that basis already."

"I know, but think about it. Blocking her abilities was probably like putting a huge blanket over her dulling all her senses. It probably feels like a sinus cold being all blocked up like that. All that pressure would lead to dizziness and nausea."

Tony nodded slowly. He guessed that made sense.

"But how do we get rid of that?" Bruce simply frowned to Tony's question.

"Maybe we should just start with over the counter medicine for those symptoms. We should also let Fury know about all this. The sooner he makes up his mind about her the sooner we might just be able to take the bracelet off and not have to deal with any of this."

Both men looked at each other and nodded solemnly. It was the only option right now.


	5. Chapter 5

The cold breeze sent shivers down Loki's back. He leaned on the balcony from his room. The stars seemed slightly obscured by all the city lights. He disliked this about midgaurdian cities. He remembered how back on Asgaurd there always seemed to be more stars than night sky.

Loki grimaced as he thought back on his home. It wasn't home anymore. He swallowed uneasily wondering if this was home now. He once told Thor he didn't have a home anymore and it had brought tears to the big man's eyes. As much as Loki would pretend otherwise it always pained him to see that idiot cry.

He tilted his head to the side slowly looking over his shoulder. His dark hair framed his face falling around his shoulders.

"What do you want Thor?" He had heard his brother enter the room and watched him step nervously forward. The older god wore a worried expression and warm blue eyes stared and steely green ones.

"I'm worried about you dear brother." Loki rolled his eyes and glances back out over the city hunching his shoulders. Another chill went through him as the breeze picked up. He had changed into simple midgaurdian clothes and they never quite kept him as warm as his regular clothes. Though Loki never really found himself warm. The simple black sweater clung to his thin frame and dark blue jeans made his legs look even longer. Thor observed his brother and smiled weakly.

Loki glanced over at the older man and realized he had his favorite scarf clenched into his hand. Thor draped the scarf over his shoulders and the small gesture made Loki feel warmer. Loki stood up straight and looked his brother in the eye.

"You shouldn't worry. Nothing's wrong." His voice was quiet but lacked softness. Natasha wasn't the only one who could tell when the trickster was lying.

"Loki, I can see it in your eyes. What is troubling you? You've been acting different ever since we brought that girl here." Thor clasped his brother's shoulder strongly forcing Loki to face him.

Loki lowered his eyes slowly. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it again. His expression was grim. Slowly he looked up at Thor and confided in him,

"What we're doing to her. It brings up painful memories and it doesn't sit well with me. I don't trust Fury to not make a rash decision. We don't even know her and yet," He broke off when his voice began to tremble. "Something just doesn't feel right Thor."

Thor's eyes showed a certain wisdom that his brother never gave him credit for.

"You have shared similar experiences. You too have been stripped of the powers that make you different. It was not easy for you on Asgaurd to have your magic instead of other skills. You feel it is the same for her here as well?" Thor searched his brothers face before slowly continuing, "You feel sympathy for her and therefore feel guilty for helping do to her what you so hated happening to you? Am I correct brother?"

Loki's lack of words proved he was. Thor nodded.

"Loki you were not alone through that. I did not agree with what father did to you and I do not agree with what we are doing now. That being said, I don't think anyone else does. But if Fury say's we can't trust her it could be too dangerous. She doesn't have someone to help control her," Thor stepped back a bit when Loki growled and glared him viciously. "It was naïve of me at the time to think I could control you but you're my brother and I honestly thought I could. I was also able to convince father of this. Now I understand all I was able to do was help guide you to the right path. This girl..Alice? She doesn't have anyone like that."

Loki's eyes hardened slowly. He thought about it carefully and looked up at Thor,

"I trust her." His brother stared at him hard for a minute. He then hugged Loki and smiled his normal goofy smile.

"Then so do I" Loki pushed him away roughly but smiled a bit to himself. He felt a bit more at ease with his brother's support. Now he just wondered where the rest of the team stood.

Fury kept reading the same file over and over again. He knew a decision had to be made regarding King soon. Informants had told him the manhunt for her had slowed but not stopped. He pressed his fingertips together. One name had caught his attention on the list of people looking for her. Matthew Steele. Fury had recognized that name as the man who had spearheaded the campaign to force mutants to register themselves. A former military man turned dirty politician made him formidable. Fury never liked dealing with politicians and usually avoided it at all costs.

However little red flags seemed to go off when he saw Steele's name on the list. He wanted to ask King about it before he made any quick decisions.

Banner had informed him the previous night that the girl had just stopped throwing up. It had been almost a week before Banner was able to find the right balance of medicines to ease her discomfort. Fury couldn't risk his team trying to remove the device or finding a new method to stop her powers. Though he still didn't trust her, he felt responsible for her. He knew she could be a valuable asset if she learned to trust him and the team, which wouldn't happen if she stayed sick because of the device they forced her to wear. Glancing at a nearby clock Fury realized it was already late afternoon. He had planned to check in with the team today and get an update on King. Things had been quiet since they found her and Fury was thankful for it.

Standing slowly he headed to the parking garage and hopped in his car. He kept mulling over all the new information as he drove. He remembered Romanoff's recent warning. Her and Barton both felt that the presence of the girl was making Loki more unstable. Fury had begun to wonder what that meant. He had given a lot of trust to Loki recently though he felt it been well deserved after Loki saved his life on several previous missions. Romanoff did however say that everyone in the house had now spoken to King and found her generally likeable.

Before too long he had reached Stark Towers. As he pulled into the lower parking lot and got out of his car. He walked briskly to the elevator and headed up to the main floors.

"Jarvis. Let Mr. Stark know I'm on my way to speak with him" Fury's voice was a sharp bark.

"Yes Mr. Fury" Jarvis replied evenly.

Upon arriving at the main floor Fury looked around and noticed that Tony was sitting at the table waiting for him. It seemed to be just him in the common area at the moment. Tony looked up and nodded to Fury. He had a glass of whiskey in his hand and was sipping it casually. It seemed Fury always managed to find the man drinking something.

"So what is it you wanted to talk about?" Tony mused lightly as he watched Fury.

"For now, let's talk about . Has she shown any hostile or aggressive behavior?"

Tony smirked,

"Oh yes. Very aggressive, I believe it was after I beat her in monopoly." Fury rolled his eyes.

"He is not kidding. She was so mad at him by the end she upturned the whole game board and threw it at him. However after watching how Tony plays monopoly I don't blame her, I would've shot him." Fury turned to look at Agent Barton who was speaking casually as he walked towards the fridge. He was smiling as he poured a glass of water.

"You're actually being serious?" The director shook his head and sighed. "Mr. Stark this is a serious matter. Other people are still looking for her. Would you or anyone else deem her a threat? I'm asking if we should keep her here or turn her over." His voice emphasized his exasperation.

"Sir, if I may be frank. That girl may have special freaky powers, but she doesn't seem like some super dangerous murderer." Barton stated it like it was a fact and watched Fury's expression. Tony nodded in agreement.

"Well then. It's time I told you something." Fury leaned back. "I asked her for the truth of what happened that day. She told me that they were trying to force her to take the cure. I had heard rumors that that had happened with a few other mutants like her and at the time the government let it slide because they were deemed a danger to the public. There was a man pushing for this kind of thing for all mutants, a politician who stirred up a lot of hatred for the mutant community I guess. That man's name is Matthew Steele."

Tony's expression went blank.

"I know that man." Fury whipped his head around and stared him down. "Mr. Steele…yeah. Back when Stark Industries was still dealing weapons he worked closely with Obidiah..was one of our big donors. Never liked him, he always seemed rather fanatical."

Fury's mouth twitched into a grim smile.

"Mr. Steele currently has the most people looking for Ms. King. I don't know why, but so many of the people looking for her all lead back to him. And if what she says is true that means we should keep her here, and keep her secret. I don't know what a man like that could possibly want with a girl like her."

"Nothing good, that's for sure. I know he still funds a lot of weapon makers and he wouldn't be the first one trying to weaponize mutant's powers." Tony actually seemed to be listening to him and taking the situation seriously. Barton looked the same as always.

"Are we sure she is telling the truth. Do you believe we can trust her?" Barton kept staring at Fury waiting for an answer.

"I believe she is telling the truth. Trust however is something she must earn from all of you." Fury stood slowly and looked at them. "Let's see if she can do that."


End file.
